No Barrel Vise- Vise grips with towel OK?

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AskDrTodd

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I need to remove & clean and retorque my barrel tonight, I don't have a vise. Since this barrel is only torqued to 20ish ft lbs can I clamp the barrel down in vise grips in a towel to remove the flash hider and subsequently the barrel? If I must use a bench vise, what should I use between it and the barrel?

Thanks!
 
Sounds like you are talking AR since you mentioned flash hider. Wondering why you "need" to remove the barrel to start with? Certainly not a standard cleaning procedure and not having proper tools / knowledge is asking for a mishap.
 
don't even think about it.

What you want to remove is the barrel nut, which requires a special tool. Set the upper on the floor and grab a friend and have them stand (all the weight of helper not necessary) on the upper while you remove the flash hider and barrel nut.

Using an upper receiver block and clamping it into a vice is the best way, but there are always other options.

Grizz
 
First of all... If we are talking about a 15-22 (and I will assume, since this is the 15-22 forum) You do not want to clamp via the upper receiver and I would highly suggest ordering the barrel vice jaws. Tacticool22 makes a great set.

If you don't heed the warning, you could ruin your upper receiver. I am speaking from personal experience here.
 
Brett248Vista said:
First of all... If we are talking about a 15-22 (and I will assume, since this is the 15-22 forum) You do not want to clamp via the upper receiver and I would highly suggest ordering the barrel vice jaws. Tacticool22 makes a great set.

If you don't heed the warning, you could ruin your upper receiver. I am speaking from personal experience here.
Click to expand...

I agree with Brett. There are a couple tools on here that you can buy for cheap. Or you can crack the polymer and spend the $400 something for a new 15-22. If you think...ahh it wont happen to me...It will!
 
I have a vise at a friend's house I can use but no barrel vise jaws. can I wrap a towel around the barrel and clamp it in the vise that way? or use small pieces of wood? What would be the best method assuming no barrel vise adapter is available?
 
Stop, look and listen. The advice given here is good, solid and gained many times from bad experiences. Take the time to get a set of barrel vices and then gun smith your little heart out. You will much happier in the long run. And have only good experienced to pass on to the rest of us. Just remember, we're all in this together.
 
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A couple things.... As long as you are holding the rifle by the barrel you won't hurt anything. Put a wrench on the flash hider and give it a light but sharp whack with a small hammer to break it lose. Don't try to strong arm it off. Also, no need to "torque" the flash hider back on. Just snug it up.

You'll need a barrel nut wrench. You can buy one from the Classifieds Sticky thread here or make one yourself from PVC. I recommend buying one but have made my own with PVC and it will work in a pinch.
 
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My opinion is that if you can afford to spend the money on the rifle, then you can afford to buy the tools to service it. It's not worth being Mickey Mouse because if you screw something up then you are going to be very angry for not listening, and it may cost you as much as the gun cost new, to fix it (especially if you screw up the barrel).

No I do NOT recommend chucking the barrel up in a vice using a towel. Barrel Vice Jaws support the barrel 360 degrees around it. It's the proper tool for the job. And yes you also need a barrel nut wrench.

That's just my $0.02 learned the hard way.
 
Brett248Vista said:
My opinion is that if you can afford to spend the money on the rifle, then you can afford to buy the tools to service it. It's not worth being Mickey Mouse because if you screw something up then you are going to be very angry for not listening, and it may cost you as much as the gun cost new, to fix it (especially if you screw up the barrel).

No I do NOT recommend chucking the barrel up in a vice using a towel. Barrel Vice Jaws support the barrel 360 degrees around it. It's the proper tool for the job. And yes you also need a barrel nut wrench.

That's just my $0.02 learned the hard way.
Click to expand...


Listen to these guys. They know their stuff. I listen to them and ask questions before I cause trouble for myself. Plan ahead, drop the few dollars for the right equipment so you don't have to post that you spoke to SW about getting a new upper.
 
Great advice here, these guys know what they are doing. In an absolute pinch you could wrap an old piece of leather belt around the barrel and clamp it with two pieces of wood in a vise (carefully of course). I can almost guarantee you damage to your barrel if you use vise grips on it, even with a towel. I highly recommend you check out Brett's awesome videos on servicing your 15-22. I also am hoping to have a second barrel nut wrench available to everyone out there that will allow checking barrel nut tightness without removing the flash hider. I'll keep you guys posted as to my progress, thanks, Shooboy
 
I have a shoowrench, which worked like a champ when used in conjunction with a 15/16ths crowsfoot wrench and the vise grips. Leather belt works much better that cloth of any sort. Rubber might also work but would be more likely to tear.
 
An old leather belt wraped in a spiral around the barrel or some wood blocks can "work" but you might not be 100% happy.
The right tool(s) for the job and you will be happy.
For the most part it does not matter if the wrench goes over the flash hider, the hand guard end cap and barrel nut do not fit over the flash hider, so you cannot take the barrel out.
If you just want to tighten the nut, then it comes into play.
Remember to mark the nut and barrel after tightening to gauge if the nut has moved.
 
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shooboy said:
I also am hoping to have a second barrel nut wrench available to everyone out there that will allow checking barrel nut tightness without removing the flash hider. I'll keep you guys posted as to my progress, thanks, Shooboy
Click to expand...

Very cool. How are you designing it to get past the end cap?

chattanoogaphil-albums-sig-picture3760-dsc04191.jpg
 
The proper tool makes the job so much easier. Sure, you might wrench it off they way you see it in your head, but c'mon, you really want to risk damaging the upper? I know that I'd rather spend money on goodies and not another rifle.
 
AskDrTodd said:
The end cap pops right out. I removed it right away, I don't want anything touching the barrel that doesn't have to!
Click to expand...

Yes, I understand. However, most folks keep the end cap on. My question was about how this new tool might be designed to get past the end cap... since you can't slide the end cap off the barrel with the flash hider installed. Perhaps it is a two piece wrench that will fit with the end cap pulled up all the way to the flash hider? Just wonderin...
 
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shooboy said:
Great advice here, these guys know what they are doing. In an absolute pinch you could wrap an old piece of leather belt around the barrel and clamp it with two pieces of wood in a vise (carefully of course). I can almost guarantee you damage to your barrel if you use vise grips on it, even with a towel. I highly recommend you check out Brett's awesome videos on servicing your 15-22. I also am hoping to have a second barrel nut wrench available to everyone out there that will allow checking barrel nut tightness without removing the flash hider. I'll keep you guys posted as to my progress, thanks, Shooboy
Click to expand...

id buy this one right away provided its the same price as the other, any idea of a time frame? weeks, months, years?
 
ChattanoogaPhil said:
Very cool. How are you designing it to get past the end cap?

chattanoogaphil-albums-sig-picture3760-dsc04191.jpg
Click to expand...

Hi guys, sorry, I should have elaborated more. The new wrench I'll be selling alongside the ShooWrench, is this professional grade model. It is fully machined, inside and out, and the bore is big enough to fit over the flash hider. There is a full hex milled into the end of the wrench, and this wrench is made to last several lifetimes. They will most likely be priced at $32, the ShooWrench will still be $20. Like Phil says however, the flash hider will have to be removed if the cap is on the handguard. The new wrench has a split rubber bushing that is fitted into the wrench after it passes by the flash hider, this is for guys that aren't using the factory end cap and want to quickly check the barrel nut tightness. So with this wrench you do have an option that the ShooWrench doesn't. This wrench will also be packaged with a full-color instructional pamphlet on checking your barrel nut tightness using barrel jaws and a vise, and also the complete procedure on removing the barrel. Here's a quick picture to give you an idea. I hope to have these within 2 weeks for retail sales. I'll post more when I have them in hand, thanks, Shoo
001-17.jpg
 
I'm confused or something. Why are you removing the barrel? Is this a necessary procedure with the MP 15-22? I have never removed a barrel from a receiver except to re-chamber or replace. My MP15-22 hasn't arrived yet but if I have to be removing and reinstalling the barrel I need to put it on the market before I use it. Maybe I can get back the $400+ I sunk in this folly.
 
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